Metal Central Crimsonfire and Divine Ascension
If really pushed I would have to say Crimsonfire are my favourite Australian metal band and it's not just because I'm friendly with a couple of their members. I still rate their debut album as a classic, without doubt one of the best releases from this country. It had been way to long since I had seen them and having missed their gig earlier in the year, I was pumped to be seeing them.
I arrived at the Central Club to find the usual suspects. A couple of blokes were telling me about their recent overseas metal trips, which was interesting and frustrating. It's really time to plan my metal journey.
Opening the night was Divine Ascension, who I've seen 3 times this year, which is kind of scary. They are a class act and they have certainly evolved over time. Having seen them so many times their set is predictable but it doesn't really matter as the quality of the music is phenomenal. I'd probably go with Answers as the highlight although their closer of Europe's The Final Countdown was sensational. I've got no shame in saying I went beserk when they played it.
I was there to see Crimsonfire though and they didn't disappoint. They played a fair amount of new material, which only makes the wait for their new album that much worse. The familiar Eternal Days and The Age of Aquarius were incredible. These tracks reminded me why I love the band. Sadly there was no Morning of the Magicians, I live in hope that Crimsonfire will play it live one day. For me Darkside to Sanity was the standout, which has always been a favourite of mine. The encore saw Jennifer the singer from Divine Ascension join them and their keyboardist Diane swap the keyboards for an acoustic guitar, in a surprising turn of event. What followed was a mesmerising new track that blew everyone away. For good measure they ended with Edguy's Tears Of A Mandrake.
This was probably the best Crimsonfire gig I've been to. The energy of the band was a step up from what I remember and their guitarist Anthony gave me the devil's sign at one point, which is something I won't forget in a hurry.
On the way home I dropped off a mate who got stuck in his seatbelt, which again brought the night to a humorous end. He was off to Wacken the next day. I was definitely jealous.
Musically this was the best Metal Central so far. Eyefear next month, I'm sure I will be there.
